Robbers shoot their way out of casino heist

In a well-executed heist, at least four armed suspects held up several employees at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom on Wednesday night, taking cash and shooting one person.

The casino, north of Durban, was littered with police shortly after the attack late on Wednesday night.

Police spokesman Colonel Jay Naicker said that four suspects had entered the casino at 9.15pm and managed to get into the cash office.

"The suspects held up several employees from the cash office, took an undisclosed amount of money and fled."

Naicker said the men escaped in three vehicles - a BMW and two bakkies.

"On their way out, the suspects fired several shots at a vehicle which was also leaving the property. The driver was injured."

Naicker said they believed that the gunmen had opened fire on the vehicle because it had been in their way.

He added that the driver of the vehicle that was shot at, was grazed in the face, by either shrapnel or broken glass, during the shoot-out, and taken to hospital in a stable condition. The car's two passengers were treated by paramedics for shock.

Naicker said it was not known how the armed suspects had entered the premises without being noticed.

"At this stage, police are on full alert to look out for the vehicles used in the robbery."

Sibaya's general manager, Melville Vogel, said on Wednesday night that he was not in a position to give a detailed statement about the robbery.

"I can confirm there was a robbery, and some money was taken," was all the would say.

Had the robbers not opened fire, Naicker said, they would have got away unnoticed.